Love Song

Ricky (Small Hands) is a songwriter and the lead of an up-and-coming rock band. When an incredible opportunity presents itself, he must decide if he’s willing to pay the price of success. knowing that whatever decision he makes will change the course of his life and the lives of those closest to him, including his girlfriend and his bandmates.

If you follow director Mike Quasar on Twitter, you are probably aware that he is himself in a band, meaning this project strikes very close to home for him. The movie has a realistic feel to it and I’m certain Quasar’s personal experience went a long way towards creating that sense of realism. Plus, the cast is superb. 2018 XBIZ Male Performer of the Year Small Hands is — in my opinion — one of the top male talents working in the U.S. today and this role seems like it was made for him. This movie also stars industry icon Joanna Angel in her first Wicked film since “Rendezvous” back in 2006. Aiden Ashley and Whitney Wright both turn in superb performances that should be recognized for their emotional depth (especially Aiden), while Chad Alva’s performance in his supporting role is one of the best I’ve ever seen from him.

The movie opens introducing us to Ricky and his girlfriend (and band manager) Jennifer (Ashley) discussing the future of the band. We learn that Jennifer has made some serious financial contributions to the project, but she’s more concerned with Ricky keeping his head straight and not getting discouraged by the struggles of the music industry as a whole as well as the struggles of the band to make its mark. The two lovers express their dedication not only to the band’s success, but more importantly to each other in a very heartwarming scene.

We also meet bassist Tommy (Alva) and his girlfriend Allison (Wright) in a scene that presents their perspective. They are young, in love, and incredibly excited about the band, although Allison feels that Tommy doesn’t necessarily get the attention he deserves because the band doesn’t play his songs even though she considers them to be just as good as Ricky’s. Tommy seems almost desperately dependent on Ricky to keep the band afloat by continuing to write hit songs even as he continues to write his own ballads.

Within the first five minutes of the movie, multiple plot threads are established. There’s a possible rivalry between lead singer/songwriter Ricky and bassist/songwriter Tommy, Jennifer’s fear that Ricky might lose himself to the dark road of fame the way her uncle did, and Allison’s desire to see Tommy’s creative ability acknowledged. Hands, Alva, Ashley and Wright all play these critical first five minutes effectively and it really sets the tone for the entire story. Kudos to Quasar for such succinct yet impactful writing.

Karen Osborne (Angel) enters the story as the fiery manager with all the necessary connections to make bands hit it big. She is aggressive and confident and Joanna makes us hate the character right off the bat. Her facial expressions and even the way she carries herself paint Karen as a corrosive evil that the audience immediately wants Ricky and Tommy to avoid. But of course, because she has the connections the band needs, Ricky decides to work with her. It’s a classic case of the hero taking a risk that they know is caustic just for the chance to reap a larger reward. Ricky and Jennifer’s trepidation of working with Karen is palpable, as is their belief that this is their last chance at major success. Again, really great character work by everyone involved. Joanna is abrasive and vile as she exerts her dominance, identifies and attacks potential threats to her plans and sows seeds of doubt and mistrust amongst the bandmates and their significant others in a ferocious whirlwind of manipulation that catches everyone off guard.

Things begin to take off for Ricky and the band at breakneck speed and the audience can feel him getting swept up in the wonder of apparent success. While Jennifer’s concerns reach fever pitch and Allison begins to worry herself, Ricky feels like a passenger on a ride instead of the one driving the car. Hands plays the vulnerability that comes with not being in control to perfection. He’s awed, concerned and inexperienced all at the same time. When Karen orchestrates a fateful confrontation, the band is forever changed and everyone (Ricky especially) bears the scars. Too late, Ricky tries to reassert himself to regain a measure of control which leads Karen to play her ace in the hole, completely decimating Ricky on a professional and emotional level while simultaneously ensnaring a new victim in her web of deceit.

This leads us to what is by far, the best sequence Mike Quasar has ever shot for Wicked Pictures. The song is melancholy and fits the scene perfectly, the shots project an intense despair upon the audience, and Small Hands uses his eyes to masterfully create a dark cloud of pain that completely engulfs the story. This is followed by a second musical sequence showing the callous way that Karen consumes, destroys and moves on, leaving a path of devastation in her wake. The quick shot of Whitney Wright looking at her phone during this sequence is an impressive piece of silent acting from her. There’s a satisfying resolution to the story that will undoubtedly have the audience cheering, but it’s definitely not a complete happy ending. The story is emotionally draining yet hurts so good and I can’t say enough great things about it.

The sex in this movie is great. This is a Wicked Passions movie so there’s an emphasis on character connection, which is always a plus for me. Chad Alva and Whitney Wright share a scene that is brightly lit and full of warmth. They kiss and caress each other for nearly seven minutes and while it sounds like a long time to wait for the more hardcore stuff, it really flies by because the performers build such an incredible connection during that time. The missionary is hot. Whitney’s legs look incredible as she lays on her back, knees around her face while Chad thrusts into her and the way they keep eye contact throughout is such a turn on.

Small Hands and Aiden Ashley are paired in a scene that starts out slow and sensual but escalates into sexual fervor. I loved the lighting and the shadows it created across the performers’ bodies and I thought Aiden absolutely shined. Her body shook with intensity and I was certain she was on the verge of death-by-orgasm more than once. The way she cradled his neck while whimpering in ecstasy as they spooned was extremely sexy.

Marcus London and Kenzie Taylor cap off their evening with a sexy nightcap that includes Marcus burying his face in Kenzie’s ass from behind (a position that I find visually stimulating) and an extended tongue-lashing on Kenzie’s pussy from Marcus. So often the blowjob gets a ton of screen time and the cunnilingus is treated as somewhat of an afterthought, but here Quasar and both performers give it its due. Kenzie’s bush also gets a ton of screen time and there’s even some toe-sucking so fans of that should find themselves quite satisfied.

Small Hands and Kissa Sins have a cool scene in a moving limo that caters to the public “reality” sex trend. As the performers dive into each other with abandon, the audience can clearly see trees, homes and other cars passing by through the windows. Scenes like this can’t be easy to shoot and Quasar deserves credit for producing such a good looking scene with such limited space and stability. The color of Kissa’s dress complimented her skin tone perfectly and honestly she looks great throughout. The cowgirl was particularly arousing and the way Kissa’s skin glistened with sweat was pretty sexy.

Joanna Angel and Chad Alva join the sexual festivities in a scene that sees Joanna brilliantly incorporate her character’s demeanor into her sexual performance. She’s loud and aggressive and in control. Joanna is one of those performers that I know of, but I haven’t seen much of her work. After watching this movie it’s easy to see how she became so popular. There’s just an animal magnetism to her sex that compels the viewer to stay engaged and her acting ability is top notch. Everything she does is stirring and keeps the viewer glued to her eyes, body and voice. Watch her when Chad is sucking her tits, her reactions are mesmerizing.

I can say without a doubt that “Love Song” is my favorite Wicked movie that Mike Quasar has ever done. It’s has a great visual look, the cast delivers in spades and the musical accompaniment is outstanding. Whomever wrote the songs for this film should be recognized for their superb work and Wicked Pictures should keep hiring Mike Quasar as often as possible. I watched this movie on Wicked.com, so I was not able to view any of the special features.